Cmaj7 piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

Cmaj7 is a major seventh chord built from C, E, G, B. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

Cmaj7

C · E · G · B

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7 – 11

A major third at the bottom is what makes this bright and settled.

Inversions of Cmaj7

  • Root position

    C · E · G · B · bass C

  • Inversion 1

    E · G · B · C · bass E

  • Inversion 2

    G · B · C · E · bass G

  • Inversion 3

    B · C · E · G · bass B

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain Cmaj7

  • CI
  • GIV

In C it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. Cmaj7
  2. G
  3. Am
  4. F

Questions